Electric connection



Patented Aug. 18 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. f ELECTRIC CONNECTION.

- 1 ii Application filed May 26, 1921. Serial No. 472,829.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, IVILLIAM V. ORR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Guyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electric Gonnections, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invent-ion relates to electric fittings and has for its object the provision of a simple, compact, and self-contained, distributing fitting adapted particularly for use on domestic electric machinery and serving to facilitate the attachment of operating and controlling devices thereto and to enable their independent disconnection when desired, without at the same time leaving opportunity for shocks or short oircuiting at the hands of children. 7 Most domestic electric machinery, of which washing machines, ironing and heating devices are examples, employ a separable connection of some kind whereby the conducting cable is detachably connected thereto, and also a motor, heating device, or otheroperating agency for effecting the-result in view, together with a switch controlling the operation of same. The operating agency has frequently to be removed for repair or replacement, wherefore it is desirable that the wiring of the different elements be independent of each other, and the most convenient arrangement would be a kind of switch board or distributing board for these circuits. As a matter of fact, how ever, nothing of the sort has ever heretofore been employed, the different parts be ing ordinarily wired one to another in a haphazard manner, so that sometimes all the parts have to be removed in order to remove one of them, and in other cases the work can be done only by cutting and splicing the wires.

The objects of this invention are the provision of a small, inexpensive, and self contained distributing board for the purpose mentioned; the provision of an article of manufacture comprising a separable contact and a miniature distributing board in unitary relation; the provision of an electric fitting for domestic machinery comprising separable and distributing contacts compactly arranged and shielded from accidental contact;-while further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds. I

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification Fig. 1 illustrates a part of a washing machine illustrating one mode of applying my improvements thereto; Fig. 2 is a sectional view upon the line 22 of Fig. 1 drawn to enlarged scale; Fig. 3 is a face View, and Fig. 4 a back view of the fitting shown in Fig.2; and Fig. 5 is a detail sectional View corresponding to the line 55 of Fig. 2.

Describing by reference characters the parts shown in the drawings, 1 represents the body of a washing machine, 2 the legs which support it, 8 the motor that drives it, lt-he switch which controls it, and 5 a cord which conveys the power thereto. The particular construction of the washin machine constitutes no part of the present invention, nor the fact that it is a clothes washing ma- .chine, since the invention is equally applicable to dish-washing machines, ironing-machines, drying-machines, refrigerating-ma-.

chines, heating-apparatus, etc. 6 represents a block or body of insulating material having at one side the projection 7 formed with the recess 8 adapted for the reception of the terminal fitting 9' of the flexible cord 5. The substance is immaterial so long as it be insulating although I prefer some composition which can be molded or cast, such as rubber, a phenolic condensation product, and the like. I have shown the body 6 as formed at the one side with threaded nuts 10 cast into the substance thereof for the reception of screws 11 whereby it is secured inside the angle of one of the legs 2, in such wise that the recess 8 is exposed. Upon the 0p posite side of the body from the nuts 10 I have shown three equi-distantly spaced rigid studs 12, 13, and 14. The outer studs 12 and 13 make electrical contact with the metallic strips 15 whose up turned ends 16 are located in the bottom of the recess 8 so as to receive the fitting 9. The intermediate stud 14 is devoid of immediate electrical connections. 7

Detachably secured to the back of the fitting is a hollow housing 20 adapted to cover and conceal these studs. I have shown the block 6 as provided with nuts 21 adapted to be engaged by suitable screws which secure this housing in place. One face of the housing is formed with apertures 22 one opposite each stud, for the connecting wires.

One of the terminal studs, as 12, is connected to the motor or other operating device and the other stud 13 is connected to the switch or like controlling device. The remaining leads from switch and motor are connected upon the terminal 14, thus rendering it a simple matter to apply and re,- move the differentelements. In Fig. 1 the numeral 24 represents the wires which lead to the motor and the numeral 25 represents the wires which lead to the switch.

It will be understood that many changes in detail can be made without departing from the scope of my invention.

Having thus described my what I claim is:

1. As an article of manufacture, a block of insulating material having a recess adapt-- ed to receive one part of a separable connector and opening through one face of said block, three studs embedded in said block and projecting from another face of said block, and a pair of contact members embedded in said block and extending from two of said studs into said recess and constituting in said recess the other part of said connector.

2. As an article of manufacture, a block of insulating material having a recess 0pen ing through one face and three studs projecting from the opposite face out of alignment with said recess,a hollow housing covering said studs and removably secured invention to said block said housin havin 0 aenin 's 3 t: D m

for the reception of conductors, a pair of contact members in said recess connected to two of sa d studs and constituting one part of a, separable connection, and means for securing said block to a support ng member.

3. As an article of manufacture, a block of insulating material, three terminals projecting from one face thereof, a pair of contact members secured to two of said terminals and forming one part of a separable connection and projecting from the face of said block opposite to that from which said terminals project, and means to support said block with said terminals and contact members all accessible.

4. As an article of manufacture, an el'ec tric fitting comprising a. pair of spaced metallic strips having apertures at one end and upturned portions at the other end, wire-receiving studs in said apertures, a block of insulating material cast around said strips so that said studs project on the one side, the opposite side of said block being recessed so as to disclose said upturned portions, means additional to said studs for receiving and connecting together two Wires additional to those which, are applied to said studs, and threaded means cast in said block whereby the same can be attached to.

asupporting structure.

5. As an article of manufacture, a block of insulating material having a recessopening through one face and three studs projecting from the opposite face, a hollow housing covering said studs and removably secured to said block, said housing having openings for the reception of conductors, a pair of contact members in said recess connected to two of said studs and constituting one part of a separable connection, and means for securing said block to a supporting member.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

XVILLIAM V. ORR. 

